Monday, July 11, 2016

How IRAS can be more helpful


I have to file my corporate tax. I logged into the IRAS website. It was quite complicated, so I had to talk to an IRAS officer.

I searched the website for a telephone number. They have a "Contact Us" page. That was helpful.

But the page contained a few dozen categories with their telephone numbers. I searched the categories and found a number to call.

I was disappointed. It turned out to be a hotline which requires me to press one button after another and listen to many irrelevant messages before I could speak to someone.

If they want me to go through this navigation, why make me go through so many categories in their "Contact Us" page?

Before talking to someone, I have to enter my company file number, without the alphabet.

When the tax officer answered, she asked me, "Mr Tan, please give me your corporate tax number.

I replied, "Your system already asked me for it, and I have pressed the buttons. Why are you asking me again? Never mind, my corporate tax number is 1234567."

IRAS must be receiving a few thousand calls each day asking for help, Why do they have a telephone system and website that make the public waste so much time on what is not necessary? Surely, they can be more helpful to the taxpayers by removing the unnecessary steps?


1 comment:

Yujuan said...

For some reasons the IRAS Website really unstable, gets you frustrated.
But have learnt to take on its quirky clumsiness, just log off, and try another time, another day even.
Bo bian, have to be patient.

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